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How to Use Filters in Ulysses (Mac) to Organize Content

Edited 2 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Ulysses is a popular writing application renowned for its clean, distraction-free interface and powerful organizational tools. These tools have the option to use filters, which can greatly improve your ability to manage and organize your writing project. Whether you're working on a short story, an extensive report, or even a novel, filters help keep everything organized, allowing you to easily find specific pieces of content.

In this detailed guide, we'll show you how to effectively use filters in Ulysses on your Mac. We'll cover everything from the basics of filters to advanced tips for maximizing their potential. By the end of this guide, you'll be armed with the knowledge to better organize your content and make your writing process more efficient.

Understanding filters in Ulysses

Filters in Ulysses act as dynamic lists that update automatically. They are based on certain criteria you define, allowing you to limit and view only those sheets (individual writing documents) that meet your specified conditions. Unlike fixed folders, filters are dynamic and can change when their underlying criteria are met or not.

For example, if you want to see all sheets that contain the keyword "draft," you can create a filter for it. If you later add that keyword to another sheet, it appears automatically in the filter results, without any manual sorting required.

Creating a filter

Setting up a filter is very easy. Let's look at this process step by step:

  1. Open Ulysses. Launch the Ulysses application on your Mac. Make sure you have all your writing organized in sheets.
  2. Access the Library: On the left side of the Ulysses interface, you'll find the Library. Here, you can see all your existing folders, sheets, and filters.
  3. Create a new filter: Find the "+" button below the Library section. Click this button and select "New Filter" from the options that appear.
  4. Define filter criteria: A new window will pop up, allowing you to define the criteria for the filter. Here, you can specify conditions based on text, keywords, dates, and more. These conditions will determine what content will appear in your filter.
  5. Name the filter: Give your filter a meaningful name that reflects its purpose, such as “Draft” or “Research.” This will make it easier to find and understand its contents at a glance.
  6. Save the filter: Once you've set your criteria and named your filter, save it. You'll see it in the Filters section of your Library.

Types of filters in Ulysses

Filters can be customized based on a variety of criteria. Here are some common types of filters you can create:

Using filters for better organization

Filters are incredibly versatile when it comes to organizing your writing. By selectively filtering content, you can break down your work into manageable segments. Here are some practical applications:

  1. Track project stages: For larger projects, create filters for different stages, such as “Research,” “Draft,” “Editing,” and “Final.” This will allow you to quickly check which parts need attention.
  2. Managing multiple projects: If you're working on multiple writing projects at once, set up separate filters for each project. Use project-specific keywords to make sure the right sheets appear in each filter.
  3. Organize by theme or topic: If you work on a variety of subjects, filters can help keep your articles, stories, or reports organized by theme, making it easier to refer to related content.
  4. Reviewing progress over time: Date-based filters enable you to view changes and progress made over specific periods. This can be helpful in reflecting on your productivity and planning future tasks.

Advanced filter technology

To get even more out of the Ulysses filter, consider using these advanced techniques:

Combining multiple criteria

You can refine the filter by combining multiple criteria. For example, you might want a filter that shows all sheets that contain the keyword "edit" and that have been modified in the last month. By combining criteria, you can narrow your focus more precisely.

Using exclusions

In some cases, you may want to exclude certain sheets from the filter. This can be done using logic statements such as "does not contain" within the filter setup. Exclusions further customize what you see.

Hierarchical organization

While filters help locate content based on set criteria, combining them with Ulysses' hierarchical folders can boost organization. Use folders for broad categories and filters for sorting within these categories.

Practical example

Let's illustrate this with a practical example. Let's say you're writing a series of blog posts about travel. Here's how you can use filters:

You have a folder named "Travel Blogs". Inside it, you have sheets for different countries and locations. You may want to quickly see all the sheets that need final editing. You can create a filter named "To edit - Travel Blogs" with the following criteria:

This filter automatically updates to show all sheets in the “Travel Blog” folder that are marked with the keyword “Edit.” Whenever you’re ready to do an editing session, checking this filter ensures you know which pieces need your attention.

Benefits of using filters

The benefits of effectively using filters in Ulysses cannot be overstated:

Conclusion

Filters in Ulysses provide a powerful way to organize content on your Mac, streamlining your writing processes, and increasing productivity. By setting up and customizing filters to suit your needs, you can easily manage large amounts of text and focus more on writing rather than searching for information.

Explore different possibilities with filters, combining ideas and techniques as your projects demand. Experiment with different criteria until you find the system that works best for you. The more you use filters, the more efficient you will become at sorting and managing your writing projects in Ulysses.

With this understanding, take advantage of the Ulysses filter to bring order to your creative or business projects, allowing you to focus on the art of writing.

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